Breakdown of הבן מצחצח שיניים, והבת כבר הולכת למקלחת עם מגבת.
Questions & Answers about הבן מצחצח שיניים, והבת כבר הולכת למקלחת עם מגבת.
Because ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.
- בן = a son / boy
- הבן = the son / the boy
- בת = a daughter / girl
- הבת = the daughter / the girl
So the sentence is specifically talking about the boy and the girl.
It is one written word, but it contains two parts:
- ו־ = and
- הבת = the daughter / the girl
So:
- והבת = and the daughter / and the girl
Hebrew often attaches small function words like ו־ directly to the next word.
Because Hebrew verbs in the present tense agree with the subject in gender and number.
- הבן is masculine singular, so the verb is masculine singular: מצחצח
- הבת is feminine singular, so the verb is feminine singular: הולכת
This is very common in Hebrew:
- הוא הולך = he goes / is going
- היא הולכת = she goes / is going
So the different verb forms are there because the subjects have different genders.
Yes. In Hebrew, the present tense is usually expressed with a single word, and there is normally no separate word for am / is / are in ordinary present-tense sentences.
So:
- הבן מצחצח שיניים can mean the boy brushes his teeth or the boy is brushing his teeth
Likewise:
- הבת הולכת למקלחת can mean the girl goes to the shower/bathroom or the girl is going to the shower/bathroom
Hebrew present tense often covers both simple present and present progressive, and context tells you which is meant.
Because שיניים literally means teeth, which is plural.
- singular: שן = tooth
- dual/plural form used in modern Hebrew: שיניים = teeth
When talking about brushing teeth, Hebrew naturally uses the plural, just like English usually says brush one’s teeth, not brush one’s tooth.
A very common question. Normally, את marks a definite direct object. Since שיניים here appears without ה־, it is not marked as definite, so את is not used.
So:
- מצחצח שיניים = brushes teeth / is brushing teeth
- מצחצח את השיניים = brushes the teeth / is brushing the teeth
In everyday Hebrew, מצחצח שיניים is a very natural expression for brushing one’s teeth.
כבר means already.
In this sentence:
- והבת כבר הולכת למקלחת = and the girl is already going to the shower/bathroom
Its position is very natural in Hebrew. It often appears after the subject and before the verb:
- היא כבר הולכת
- הוא כבר אוכל
- אנחנו כבר יודעים
It gives the sense that the action is already underway or happening sooner than expected.
למקלחת is made up of:
- ל־ = to
- הַמקלחת = the shower / the bathroom depending on context
When ל־ combines with ה־, they merge:
- ל + ה = לַ
So:
- למקלחת = to the shower / to the bathroom
In context, it often means someone is going to take a shower, or going into the bathroom/shower area.
Because Hebrew handles definiteness differently from English, and it has no separate word for a / an.
- למקלחת = to the shower/bathroom
- עם מגבת = with a towel
If the towel were specific, Hebrew could say:
- עם המגבת = with the towel
So מגבת without ה־ often corresponds to English a towel.
It can mean shower literally, but in context it may also refer to the place where someone is going to shower.
So הולכת למקלחת can be understood as:
- going to the shower
- going to the bathroom to shower
- going to take a shower
The exact English wording depends on context, but the Hebrew is very natural.
Because this is a very natural Hebrew sentence pattern:
- subject
- adverb
- verb
- destination
- additional phrase
- destination
- verb
- adverb
So:
- והבת = subject
- כבר = adverb
- הולכת = verb
- למקלחת = destination
- עם מגבת = accompanying item
Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but this version sounds normal and clear.
For example, you could also hear things like:
- והבת הולכת כבר למקלחת
- וכבר הבת הולכת למקלחת
But the original sentence is the most straightforward and natural for many contexts.
Usually it means she is with a towel / carrying a towel / taking a towel along. Hebrew עם is broad, just like English with.
So the phrase suggests that she is heading to the shower/bathroom and has a towel with her. The sentence does not specify exactly how she is holding it.
A natural pronunciation would be roughly:
ha-BEN me-tsakh-TSE-akh shi-NA-yim, ve-ha-BAT kvar ho-LE-khet la-mik-LA-khat im mag-BE-t
A few helpful notes:
- הבן = ha-ben
- מצחצח has that strong ts/kh sound combination
- שיניים = shi-na-yim
- הולכת = ho-le-khet for feminine singular
- למקלחת = la-mik-la-khat
You do not need to pronounce it exactly like this transliteration, but it can help you hear the structure of the sentence.
It can do either, depending on context.
Hebrew present tense often covers both:
- right now: The boy is brushing his teeth, and the girl is already going to the shower
- habitual: The boy brushes his teeth, and the girl already goes to the shower with a towel
In this particular sentence, כבר and the overall scene make it sound more like something happening right now.
Yes, a few things:
Present tense without “is/am/are”
Hebrew says הבן מצחצח where English says the boy is brushing.Verb agreement with gender
מצחצח vs. הולכת shows masculine vs. feminine.No separate word for “a”
מגבת can mean a towel.Attached prefixes
Hebrew often attaches short words like:- ו־ = and
- ל־ = to
- ה־ = the
Natural object phrasing
מצחצח שיניים is a common way to say brushing teeth.
These are all very normal features of everyday Hebrew.